60 ice blocks

300 lbs each

9 tons total

          white fabric is frozen within each ice block in order to act as a projection screen and capture 3 video projections of clouds mixing and merging from dawn till dusk, from slow to rapidly rolling skies, from  details to expansive skyscapes. a crescent shaped pond underneath the wall captures water from the melting ice. the droplets of water fall onto lily pads made of stainless steel. each drop of water triggers a  sensor that is designed to amplify the droplet and manipulate it into various melodic tones.

         clouds are themselves minute particles of water or ice suspended in air. high clouds are composed entirely of ice crystals. when these high ice clouds descend lower in the atmosphere the ice crystals melt and turn to rain.

         skywall is inspired by the fundamental cycle of water, clouds and sky. the ice blocks inhabit the magnification of what clouds are constructed of, the melting of the ice is the water returning from where it initially came from and video projecting layers of multiple and variable speed clouds and sky is the image of the light that refracts on clouds.

         1st version of skywall was presented as the multimedia exhibition titled when heaven melts, buddy art exhibition space, chicago, early 2003. slide projections of clouds onto 40lbs suspended ice blocks with manipulated sounds - see video clip below.

 

artists • petra poul bachmaier & sean m gallero

rigging/engineering • ty russell (kish rigging)

sound design/engineering • todd carter